𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 - 𝘚. 𝘑𝘢𝘦𝘺𝘶𝘯

Cookies

Yeri stood in her kitchen, surrounded by the sweet smell of freshly baked cookies. Her parents had insisted she bake something for the new neighbors, and while she appreciated their good intentions, the thought of confronting the person who had caused her so much annoyance felt like torture. She sighed as she slid the tray out of the oven, the warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies glistening in the afternoon light.

"Yeri! Don't forget to take those over to the new neighbors!" her mom called from the living room. "It's a nice way to welcome them!"

"Yeah, sure" she replied, her voice muffled by the oven mitts. The last thing she wanted to do was face the rude neighbor who had sent her spiraling into a mini existential crisis over a misdelivered package.

As she walked towards the door, her mind raced with thoughts of what she might say if she did bump into them. Should she confront them about the text? Should she just hand over the cookies and leave?

With a resigned huff, she opened the door and stepped into the fresh air, holding the plate of cookies like a shield. The neighborhood looked peaceful, but she felt a knot in her stomach as she approached the house across the street.

She knocked hesitantly on the door, her heart racing. But before she could even prepare herself, the door swung open, and a blur of yellow and white fur jumped toward her, barking excitedly.

Wait—Layla? Yeri thought her eyes widening in surprise as she recognised the energetic dog.

Just as she tried to process this what had just happened, she heard a familiar raspy voice call out from behind the door. "Layla! Come back!"

Yeri's heart dropped as she looked up to see Jake standing there, his hair tousled and still in his pajamas, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Their gazes locked for a brief moment, and the world around them faded into silence. She felt a jolt of recognition, and her brows furrowed as confusion washed over her.

Jake's thoughts raced. No way. This was the last person he wanted to face right now. His heart pounded in his chest as he realised that the girl he had been crushing on—his neighbor—was now standing at his front door, probably having pieced everything together. He was frozen, a mix of embarrassment and shock washing over him.

"Yeri..." Jake finally managed, the awkwardness  heavy in the air.

Before either could say more, Jake's mom appeared behind him, her expression shifting from surprise to irritation. "Jake! Why are you answering the door looking like that? Go change." she scolded, her eyes narrowing.

Jake groaned inwardly, the moment of confrontation slipping away as he turned an even deeper shade of crimson. His mother's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

Yeri stood there, caught between bewilderment and embarrassment. "I, um, brought cookies for you, welcome to the neighbourhood" she said, forcing a polite smile as Jake's mom turned her attention to her.

"Oh, how lovely! Thank you so much dear!" his mom exclaimed, accepting the plate with a bright smile. "You should come in for a moment!"

"Oh, that's really okay! I should—uh, get going," Yeri replied quickly, her cheeks still warm as she backed away from the doorway.

Jake's eyes darted between Yeri and his mom, desperately wishing for a moment to explain himself. "Yeri, I—"

"Thank you again!" his mom interrupted, oblivious to the tension as she turned her back to Jake. "You're so sweet to welcome us!"

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you!" Yeri said, her heart racing as she took a step back.

With that, she turned and walked away, the weight of the moment hung in the air. Jake stood frozen in place, a mix of relief and regret washing through him. He watched Yeri disappear down the street, his mind racing with thoughts of how he could have possibly revealed himself as the rude neighbor without actually saying it.